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The Fraser Institute, Canada's leading independent
research organization, is hosting a conference in Toronto to
discuss immigration policy and how it relates to the threat of
terrorism in Canada and the United States.
"It's become obvious in recent years that Canada's flawed refugee
system and a lack of political will to reform the program have
been major factors in making Canada a prime destination for
terrorists," said Martin Collacott, a senior fellow with the
Institute and co-chair of the conference.
"This conference is an attempt to generate discussion about
policy options for governments. We can't hide behind political
correctness; both Canada and the U.S. need to carefully examine
the links between immigration policy, security and the potential
for terrorism."
Canada and the U.S. share the world's longest undefended border.
But since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack on the World
Trade Centre, security has become a priority for the Americans,
said Alexander Moens, Fraser Institute senior fellow, professor
of political science at Simon Fraser University and conference
co-chair.
"The United States is Canada's largest trading partner. For our
own economic security and well-being, Canada needs to ensure that
our immigration and refugee policy is not perceived as posing a
potential threat to the U.S."
Scheduled for June 28 and 29 at the Sheraton Centre Hotel in
Toronto, the conference has lined up a wide array of experts in
immigration policy and security, and journalists who have written
about immigration and terrorism.
These are some of the 17 featured speakers:
Bat Ye'or
- World-renowned author of
Islam and Dhimmitude: Where Civilizations Collide
and
Eurabia: The Euro-Arab Axis
.
Kim Bolan
- reporter with the
Vancouver Sun
and author. She won the PEN Canada/Paul Kidd Courage Prize in
2006 for her coverage of the Air-India story while under death
threats and is the author of
Loss of Faith: How the Air-India Bombers Got Away With
Murder
. She will speak on Sikh extremism in Canada.
Steven Emerson
- A leading authority on Islamic extremist networks, financing,
and operations, he is the executive director of the Investigative
Project on Terrorism, which he launched in 1995 after the
broadcast of his award-winning documentary,
Jihad in America
. Nearly every one of the terrorist suspects and groups first
identified in his 1994 film have been indicted, convicted, or
deported since 9-11. He will discuss the presence and influence
of terrorists and their supporters in Canada and the United
States.
Stewart Bell
- A veteran investigative reporter and foreign correspondent, he
has been writing about terrorism for more than twelve years,
playing a central role in alerting Canadians to the threat posed
by foreign and Canadian-born terrorists in Canada. He is the
author of
Cold War: How Canada Nurtures and Exports Terrorism Around the
World
. He will speak about Canada's response to terrorism since 9/11.
James Bissett
- former executive director of the Canadian Immigration Service,
Canadian Ambassador to Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, and Albania, and
Canadian High Commissioner to Trinidad and Tobago. He will join
Mark Krikorian
, executive director of the Center for Immigration studies in
Washington DC, to discuss security concerns in immigration and
refugee policies.
Other highlights include a media panel with Globe and Mail
columnist
Margaret Wente
and Western Standard publisher
Ezra Levant
. The two will discuss what it is like to be on the front lines
debating immigration, terrorism and ethnic politics.
Collacott and Moens said their aim is for the conference to
inform the public and describe the terrorist threat for what it
is. Participants at the conference will also examine and compare
Canadian, U.S. and European government policies for dealing with
terrorism. The objective is to analyze strengths and weaknesses
in these policies and formulate recommendations that could
provide a better balance between immigration and national
security.
What:
Fraser Institute Conference on Immigration Policy, Border
Controls and the Terrorist Threat in Canada and the United States
When:
June 28 - 29, 2007
Where:
Sheraton Centre Hotel, Toronto
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